When you think of administering a “time-out” maybe you think of a kid sitting or standing in a corner staring into the oblivion of already dried paint. Or maybe you think of a kid hands in their lap sitting attentively on the stairs. Or maybe you have an image of a kid supposedly sitting on the side of their bed in their own room or their parents’ room. I used to think of time-out this way... Then one day it all changed.

In my attempt to make us a more mindful family, I decided to audit our daily activities to see where we could insert more mindful opportunities. Since I'm more of a fan of thoughtful punishment over corporeal, I figured that a time-out was the best way to force a child to be more thoughtful. At first I made my child say the behavior I thought they should have executed in “said” scenario. Then I made them meditate on the other person’s feelings- with the intent that purposefully thinking of others would increase empathy. Then I made them think of their own feelings. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but none of these really produced any transformational behaviors. I was back where I started again.​

That's when I looked out the window... We live near a nature reserve and the soundscape and landscape outside our window is absolutely breathtaking at any time of year. I found myself caught in a moment of “being in the moment”, mindfulness. That’s when the lightbulb came on… The next time I administered a time-out, I made my kids stare out the window. The only requirement was to stand quietly and look and listen. They loved it. I loved it. After the time-out was over we talked about what they observed. And sometimes, an unsolicited apology came through... and it felt genuine. What the hell happened?​

I watched in horror as the pundits on television encouraged people to vote along the lines of their party even if they don’t agree with the candidate. My mouth dropped. Politics aren’t sports ya'll... We aren’t voting to see who takes home the cup to put neatly on the mantle or in the trophy case. Politics guide our livelihood and our relationship as a country with the rest of the world. It’s confusing that we’ve become so blinded by the competition that we don’t fully understand what we’re doing this for. This is not a game, it’s our future.

I can’t help but feel sorry for all of you who are about to vote in line with your party but in practice disagree with the rhetoric Donald Trump spreads and the values that Donald Trump embodies. Our civics, social studies, and government classes have failed you. And the American education system failed to teach you about what it truly means to be American. You have a voice… don’t waste it. So to encourage you to do so, I’ve penned this letter. (There's no bias here, another one is coming for Democrats... I’m just waiting for the DNC to come to it’s theatrical conclusion.)